Keepin' it Clean

I just looked a little closer at my laptop keyboard and am wondering how you are supposed to keep it clean.  I can squirt air on it now and then or just blow but sooner or later, there's bound to be an accumulation of "stuff" underneath.  I'm making a real effort not to eat near the laptop.  Food and drink is kept on the side desk away from my baby.  Sometimes I wonder why I spend so much time worrying about dumb stuff.  Probably my OCD kicking in a bit.

I think Sammy has a touch of OCD too.  One of his kooky habits is to pull dirty laundry out of the basket I keep in the closet.  He just leaves it there on the floor after sniffing it, I guess.  It used to be underpants mostly so I figured he was longing for a female friend or something. Ha ha  Now it's towels and anything else he finds.  Poor dog.

I was hoping my investment in new shoe inserts would cure my foot problems overnight.  I've never been patient with things like that.  I did feel pretty good yesterday and I was confident the problem was solved.  But no, not yet.  Doctor thought maybe my sciatica might improve as well. Hasn't happened yet but I'm trying to keep a positive attitude and hope for the best as time goes on.

I spent a little time cooking this morning so now I won't have to fix meals for a while. Made a big pot of 15-bean soup and put up a few containers of cole slaw.

Actually, I made twice as much coleslaw as shown here.  Am hoping I can get to it all before it goes brown. Thought if I packaged it individually, it might stay fresher. We'll see.  Cabbage and beans. Yeah. We all know what that means.  It's a good thing I live alone.

I sure am enjoying my Roku that Joe gave me. I watched two more episodes of Damages last night and it's all I can do to keep myself from sitting down all day to watch more shows.  I think I'm going to discard (or at least tape over) all the music VHS tapes I have. Four are oldies and four are old country.  Being able to key in whatever type of music I want on Pandora is absolutely delightful. They bring up music similar to whoever you've chosen.  I made channels of music like Frank Sinatra, Roger Williams, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Randy Travis, Iris Dement, Bob Dylan, and 50's oldies.

I usually tune in Good Morning America and flip back and forth between them and the Today Show to see if they have anything worth watching.  Sometimes they do but more often than not, I'm disgusted. I turned them both off today. One had Nancy Grace and the other had Starr Jones. Both irritate me.

Looking over my to-do list and it's mostly down to chores I can do at my leisure....writing letters, vacuuming, and walking the dog.  I need to make a run down to the corner grocery to buy some lotto tickets too. I went online to study the numbers called frequently so I can get my new system going. I pick a few from the top of the list and a couple from the bottom.  I'm sure this is the way to win. Ha!

My daughter, Sue and I are going to the movies tomorrow night. It's hard to find someone who likes to see scary stuff.  The Grey shows only at 7 pm so I'll be home at a halfway decent hour. Thursday I'm heading into Port Townsend to do a couple of errands and have lunch. Hoping to stop at the Research Center too. I need to look up a few things.

Two of my favorite shows are on tonight--Southland and Justified.  Well, guess  I'll do a dab of sewing, work on my jigsaw puzzle a while, and take Sammy around the block.

Notes from my health secrets book:

Clarify your aspirations: Before dreams come true, you have to identify them. Ask yourself right now what you want most in the world and without stopping to think, write down the first three things that come into your head. Read your list, and put it away. Repeat the process weekly for six weeks. Then take out all the lists and study your answers. You will find a pattern. The responses that repeat themselves are your dreams.

Obits: Roy Rogers & Dale Evans -- They had a wonderful professional life but their personal life was full of tragedy. The only child they had together died from Down Syndrome before her 2nd birthday. They adopted four other children, one died in a church bus accident in 1964 and the next year another choked to death. The tragedies inspired Dale to write motivational books. Her first, Angel Unaware, was applauded for raising acceptance of retarded children in an era when most were institutionalized their entire lives.  Roy died of congestive heart failure in 1998. He was 86 years old. Dale died of heart failure three years later at age 88. They are buried in Apple Valley, CA.

Orson Welles: In his latter years Orson was obese and suffered several ailments. He was seated at his typewriter working on the script changes for his movie, The Other side of the wind, when he suffered a heart attack and died at age 70. He was cremated and his ashes shipped to the retired bullfighter, Antonio Ordonez, an old freind in Spain. His cremains were placed into an old brick well at Ordonez's country house which was then sealed with no designation of any kind marking the spot. (per Orson's request)

Monday runarounds

Had a 9:15 a.m. appt with the podiatrist today.  He recommended some special inserts and pads so I went to the pharmacy a few blocks away to pick up one package and drove downtown to the shoe store to pick up the other.  First item was $8, second was $48.  Back to the doctor so he could do his magic and insert everything where it needed to be inserted.  Got the wrong size of the expensive insert so back to the shoe store downtown.  He had told me another shoe store sold the item for $5 cheaper so I drove around the block twice trying to find that place and went in to buy the $40 item in my size.  Then back to the original shoe store to return the wrong size $48 insert. Back to the doctor and now I'm good to go.  Am praying this will do the trick so I can start walking again.

Have to make a run to Swain's in a while to pick up these shoes he suggested to use around the house at night when I want something more slipper-like.  Can't just put on floppy shoes anymore.

Went to see Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud yesterday with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. I'll give it a C-.  Can't understand why it even got a nomination for best picture.  It was okay...but not Oscar quality.  I'm not giving up, though. I still want to see Moneyball and The Grey.

Did a little work on my jigsaw puzzle and my latest sewing project but that's about it.  I was thinking of rejoining Ancestery.com but I'm going to wait two months when the 1940 census becomes available.

My daughter, Mary, met up with "her gang" on Saturday and they spent the night at the Tulalip Casino. Mary hit $429 on a haunted house slot machine. Here's a picture they took in the bathroom.

Since I signed up for Netflix, I've been using my Roku gadget quite a bit this month. I started watching Glenn Close in 'Damages' and my oh my, am I ever hooked!  There are 39 episodes available and while I try to watch just one, I often get so involved, I watch two or three a night.

Well, gotta meet the kids at the bus stop so they can ride to Swains with me.

Happy Birthday to Jaci Heinbaugh Adams in California.

The movies

Went to see The Descendants this afternoon. Starred George Clooney, who is always easy on the eyes. I think I'd give it a B-.  It was okay but kind of slow moving I thought.  And while George's acting was again "okay", I didn't think the performance was anything worthy of an Oscar nod.  I wish I could see all the movies up for awards before the Oscars are presented but most of the time, I'm lucky if I see one or two.  Gets kind of expensive (matinees are $7.50) and that can add up if you want to see half a dozen or more. Easier to wait until they come out on video.  With that said,however, I still have a few I'd like to see in the movie house.  War Horse, Extremely loud and incredibly close, Moneyball, and The Grey.  Plus a couple of others.  Previews for Man on a Ledge looked good.

I stopped at the Dollar Tree on the way to the movie house as I wanted to buy a few more back support thingies. I tried the one out on my recliner and office chair and felt they really made a difference. Seems like my back and/or legs hurt an awful lot these days no matter where I sit.  Anyhow, I bought three more and will use one in the car.  I think they're a good deal for a dollar.

I slept until 9:45 this morning. Obviously I was tired.  I think I slept better than I have the last few nights. Perhaps memory foam isn't ideal for my back.

I drove over to Jenni's after the movie to pick up Sammy so he can spend the night. Needless to say, he was mighty happy to see Gramma. (always nice to know you're missed)  hee hee

Well, I think I'll add some death notes and call it good.  Well, that didn't sound like I meant it to sound but you know what I mean.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto:

Jay Silverheels (May 26, 1918-Mar 5, 1980) Jay was a full-blooded Mohawk from Ontario and had been a runner-up Golden Gloves boxing champ. He also played on the Canadian national lacrosse team. In Hollywood he was a stunt man and extra until he landed the role of Tonto. He died of a heart attack at age 61, was cremated and his ashes spread over the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in Ontario.

Clayton Moore (Sept. 14, 1914-Dec 28, 1999)

Clayton never really quit being The Lone Ranger. He made countless appearances as the famous masked man but when Jack Wrather (who owned the rights) sued to prevent Clayton from making appearances because a new movie was being filmed, Clayton started wearing sunglasses because the court said he didn't personify the young Lone Ranger anymore. When the movie bombed, Clayton went back to wearing the real trademark mask. He died of a heart attack at age 85 and is buried in Glendale, CA.

Finish your cereal--drink the leftover milk in your cereal bowl because some of the vitamins and minerals in fortified cereals are dissolved into the milk while you eat.

Last Friday of January

Happy Birthday to my pal, Mary Gaboury!

Hunter has been reading Harry Potter this week and found himself liking it very much. So much so, he wanted to go hunting for volume 2.  We went to 7 places and I couldn't believe we couldn't find volume 2. Or any Harry Potter.  Seems like I see them all the time at garage sales.  We were more interested in buying used so I was surprised that we weren't successful.  I could have bought them cheap on half.com but you'd still have to pay $4 for shipping.

It was fun hitting the second hand stores, though. We went into two antique shops downtown and both of us wished that we could have browsed longer. I had left Maddie home and Hunter was getting hungry.  He did mention that he was going to go back to that antique store. Lots of interesting stuff in there.

We did find another stereo with 'output' knobs on the back so I picked that up.  Only $7 at Goodwill so I'm hoping it works for the project I want to start converting my cassettes.  We'll see.

Am going to the movies this weekend.  Either a double feature tomorrow or one show Saturday and one show Sunday. Plan to see The Iron Lady and The Descendants. 

Took the memory foam off my bed this morning to see if my body aches improve.  I know it's partly sciatica because my left fingers keep going numb.

Maddie was complaining about the new cafeteria food/people they have at her school now.  Seems she was going through the line and requested mashed potatoes without the gravy. The server refused. Told her she had to have both. So she asked for the gravy on the side and the server questioned her about whether she was going to eat it or waste it.  Somebody in that kitchen has a power issue.  I could see "maybe" suggesting a kid eat their veggies but really!  Gravy?!

Here's a picture I took of a tree across the street from the thrift store Hunter and I hit on 8th Street this afternoon.  I'm not sure if it was one or two trees but it sure is big.

And here is the last of my snow in the front yard. This is where I built my snow witch.

From my death book:

Benny Hill: (Jan. 21, 1925-April 20, 1992) Benny's neighbors noticed a bad odor coming from his apartment and found him very much as he had lived his life, alone. In front of his tv, he was slumped on the couch, surrounded by cardboard boxes unwashed dishes and piles of videotapes. He left no survivors and is buried in England, after suffering a heart attack.

Alfred Hitchcock: (Aug 13, 1899-Apr 29, 1980)  Severely arthritic and suffering from kidney failure for a year, Alfred died of heart failure at age 80. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered but no one knows where.

Andy Kaufman: (Jan. 17, 1949-May 16, 1984) Andy developed a nagging cough and when it got worse, he had numerous test and they found a rare, large-cell carcinoma of his lungs. It was in an advanced stage and incurable. He had never smoked and was strict health food fanatic so when the news became public, many believed he was crafting a performance. Some arrived at his funeral expecting a reception from him in one or another of his personas. Many even poked him when they thought no one was looking. He died at age 35 and is buried in NY.

Health tips:  How to stay safe--
Don't open the door unless you know who is on the other side.
Don't trust people just because they look respectable.
Be wary of imposters like plumbers, gas and water inspectors, police, etc. Check credentials.
Lock you door --and windows.
Always keep your keys secure.
Don't keep your car keys on the same key ring as your house keys.
Don't leave your garage door opener in your unlocked car.

Cleaning

This office was a little overdue for a cleaning.  Once I have to spend any amount of time looking for stuff, I know I have to get things organized.  I switched my sewing table with the desk in here, cleaned out drawers, boxes, shelves, bins, and nooks.  Even changed chairs.  Much better now.

I've been testing out my memory foam pad versus my harder mattress to see if I can tell a difference in how my back feels each morning.  I think I'm going to take off the foam and use it for company because I'm in a world of hurt today.  Sometimes it's hard to gauge whether the mattress is at fault or if it's just the body aging in a onery way.  I'm going to read up on sciatica again too. There must be something that can ease the discomfort that comes and goes month after month.

Hunter asked if I would post that he's raising money for the heart assn again and would people donate to his cause. (I think he gets prizes depending on what he raises)  If you want to do it (and if you trust me) send me a check made out to ME and I'll deposit and write him a second check. Last year the people that sent a check made out to the American Heart Assn. had to wait months and months for it to clear and people got aggravated with their checks being outstanding for that long. I vowed that the next year I'd ask people to donate a little differently--even if it is a bit unconventional.  Like I say, if you trust me....  (any amount is fine..I'll probably do $5 or $10 myself)

And if you're in the market for shopping bags, my sister is making them like crazy.

Death notes:

Walt Disney (Dec 5, 1901-Dec. 15, 1966) Walt's left cancer-ridden lung was removed but he died a month later anyway. He rarely attended funerals and no annoucement was made for his own, which was attended only by relatives. He was cremated and his ashes interrred in Glendale, CA

Brian Keith (Nov 14, 1921-June 24,1997)  Brian was suffering from lung cancer and emphysema and was distraught by the gunshot suicide of his daughter. Two months later he shot himself. His ashes were interred in Santa Monica.

Redd Foxx (Dec 9, 1922-Oct 11, 1991) As Fred Sanford he often feigned heart attacks so when he collapsed of a real heart attack while filming a new series, the people on the set thought he was joking. He was dead at 68 and is buried in Las Vegas.

Jim Henson (Sept 24, 1936-May 16, 1990)  Jim died suddenly of an aggresive bacterial infection known as steptococcus pneumonia. It overwhelmed his body despite high doses of antibiotics. Within 20 hours of walking into the hosptial, he died. Before the illness, he had been in excellent health and had never even had a personal physician. He was cremated and his ashes were scattered at his ranch outside Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Health notes:

Best houseplants to use as air filters:  aloe vera, Chinese evergreen, elephant ear philodendron, English ivy, ficus, golden pothos, corn plants, peace lily and spider plants.

How to prevent a heart attack:  Eat a couple of kiwis daily.  (there was a whole lot more to this article but I put it in one quick sentence because I have to get off the computer now)

Driving at night

I don't drive at night but sometimes you have to in winter. I was driving Maddie across town to her basketball practice and some fool in a red sports car decided he wanted to skirt across four lanes of traffic instead of waiting for a break in the line.  I thank God I wasn't going the speed limit as I missed T-boning him by inches! Stupid jerk! How I wish a cop had been nearby.  On the return trip, another guy pulled out right in front of me.  Is there a full moon or are the roads just full of more fools after dark?

Here's a picture Maddie put on her Facebook page of her team.  They go to Kirkland for a game or jamboree or something this Saturday. She's kneeling, 2nd from the right.

Mary sent me a wireless mouse today. Cute little thing and fun to use.  And thank you too, Mary, for the keyboard and laptop bag.  I love them all!

Sammy is moping by the window waiting to be picked up. Hunter had me drop him off at his mom's bank so he could do something with their stampers.  Jen and Maddie will be selling Campfire cookies (or is it candy?) I forget. Anyhow, they'll be at Swains Port Angeles store Friday night I think.  Anybody want to buy some? Let me know.

Guess I'll go check on dinner. I have a small piece of salmon cooking in the oven and some homegrown green beans cooking on the range top with some red potatoes.  Bought a bag of 10-bean mix today so I'll probably make a pot of bean soup this weekend. Have to go buy some celery first. I forgot I was out.

More tomorrow.....

Trying out a new look

Thought it was time for a change so I picked a new template design for my blog this morning. Also added some pictures to the bottom of the main page.  Nothing new; just PT pictures that I've always liked.

Rain is coming down steadily  and it's a welcome sight. Can even see my lawn again so let it rain, baby! I was thinking of making a library run since I finished my audio books but maybe I'll wait until tomorrow.  'The same sweet girls' by Cassandra King is one of my favorite books now  The ending made me cry.  Probably one of the best death scenes I've ever read (or heard in this case). It was read by Laura Hicks who had a fun-to-listen-to southern accent similar to Paula Deen, the tv cook. The author's husband is Pat Conroy, another author I like.

I decided since my blog often bogs down with silly and not all that interesting tidbits about my life, that I would share other tidbits I see in  magazines or books.  Two that I'm reading right now are 'Treasury of Health Secrets' and 'Where are they buried?'

'Where are they buried' is quite interesting as they talk a little about each person as well as telling where they're buried and what they died of.  I'll start with TV& film personalities----Steve Allen (born Dec 26, 1921-died Oct. 30,2000) was in a minor traffic accident when another driver backed into his car. The fender-bender bruised Steve's chest and ruptured tissue in his heart (which wasn't too healthy in the first place). The rupture caused a blood leakage and when Steve dozed off after dinner, he never awoke. He was cremated and his ashes remain with the family.

James Cagney(July 17, 1899-March 30,1986) died on Easter Sunday from diabetes and heart disease. Longtime friend Ronald Reagan delivered his eulogy. He's buried in Hawthorne, NY.

Jack Cassidy (March 5, 1927-Dec 12, 1976) dozed off while smoking a cigarette which ignited the couch. The fire consumed the entire building. The charred remains of one person were found, but positive visual identification was impossible and family members hoped that the remains weren't Jack's as his car was missing from the garage. He had loaned the car to a friend and dental records later identified him. His ashes were scattered at sea.

Self defense against colon cancer:
Colon cancer is rare in regions where vegetables and grains make up the bulk of the diet. It's common in the US and other western nations where the diet is largely based on meat. Wheat bran is more protective than fruit and vegetable fiber. Oat bran has little impact on colon cancer risk, though it does reduce cholesterol levels. Consume at least 1000 mg of calcium. It neutralizes bile and fatty acids. Ideally, through diet, not supplements. Eat lots of citrus fruits & dark green and yellow vegetables as the best source of antioxidants.
Exercise! Walk or do some other exercise at least 30 minutes, 3 times a week.
Some studies have shown people who take asprin or ibuprofen regularly face a reduced risk of colon cancer.

Well, I need to move to another room and get productive.  First though, I suppose I should pay a bill or two online before I forget.

Light bulbs

Utility guy came this morning to give me energy efficient lightbulbs and two shower heads. He brought a little stepstool but you need a ladder to replace several bulbs in this house so I told him my son-in-law would help me later.  Sorry Wayne.  I'll bake you a pie.  Had I opted to let the power guy do the work, he would have been here for over an hour as I had 3 dozen bulbs. I had computer work to attend to so I was glad he agreed to let me do it on my own.

I spent so much time trying to figure out how to print an envelope for a birthday card I was sending that the mail lady came and went.  I just can't understand why my printer won't take my directions.  I printed an envelope the other day and it was easy.  This time, I had to change the size of the envelope and while I thought I was ever so clever figuring out how to do that, it wouldn't print in the right spot.  Over and over I tried but finally gave up in disgust.

Well, I'm fooling around and postponing my sewing project for the day so I'd best get up and get moving.  Mary Norton and I are hitting the movie house this weekend. I always get anxious to see the flicks once the Golden Globe and the Oscars start talking about nominations and wins.

Gonna have to try and catch a nap today as there are three things I want to watch tonight and they all start at 10 p.m. Lately, I haven't been able to stay awake that long but I'll have to since I only have two VCRs. I'll probably watch Justified and tape Southland and Storage Wars.

My cousin, Marlee, in Gig  Harbor sent me a picture of some pussy willows she took on her walk the other day. I've always loved pussy willows. Not sure why.

My cassette thingie

Arlis:  Apparently, my stereo doesn't have "output" buttons on the back (only "input) so I have to hunt for another stereo to use.  Once I find one, I go from the outlet on the back of the stereo to the input on the gadget and the gadget attaches to my computer with a USB cord.  I play the music and use the program disk that came with the gadget to fix up the songs I want to save.  I kind of know what I have to do because I did this with all my vinyl records.  Just have to find a stereo to work with.

I finished a jigsaw puzzle today. It was only 500 pieces but they're still a challenge.  I sent for some AARP crossword puzzle books on Amazon and much to my delight, I discovered a $38 credit on my account. YAY!  I actually have a lot of crossword puzzles around here. Linda Pedersen gave me a really neat NY Times newspaper full of puzzles through the decades.  Some are too hard for me, though.

I got some quilt squares sewn together and might attempt to finish off a small quilt tomorrow.  We'll see.  I also bought some material to make a tulip wall hanging so I've got one project after another sitting in the wings.  I'll also finish an audio book tomorrow. I've really enjoyed this one. 'The Same Sweet Girls' by Cassandra King.  About six southern women friends since college.  Well written.

Took the kids to their separate basketball practices at 4 and 4:30 so now Sammy and I are sitting here waiting for Jen to come pick him up.  I've got dinner cooking in the oven.  Two pieces of chicken in a casserole dish covered with peas, broccoli, rice and cream of chicken soup.

Part of my dream last night took place in Laurel Grove Cemetery.  It wasn't a funeral, though. Had something to do with my sore foot.  I finally broke down and made another podiatrist appt for next week.  This dang foot has been bothering me since July and I think I've put off going back because he'll tell me nothing can be done.  How's that for a positive attitude?!  Could be he'll order those expensive orthotic inserts.  I'm hoping not but I realize I've got to at least try and get to the bottom of this. The longer I don't get out walking, the heavier I'm gonna become. Just getting in and out of the car to run errands is becoming difficult.  Whine whine....

The electric company guy is coming in the morning to give me new energy lightbulbs and check out my windows and shower nozzle.  Yesterday I learned how to print envelopes with my new printer. That was a huge accomplishment for me.  Below is a picture of a little gift Jenni received at work for her birthday.  I think it's for a tree or maybe the mirror in your car but she's going to display it in her office.

I posted on my Leader blog yesterday so if you get a chance, check that out at ptleader.com. Blog is called Town Kid and the latest piece was 'Storms of Life.'

Well, the house  is semelling pretty good so I guess I'll go check on supper.   Best wishes and good luck to Bill Koepke who is having heart surgery today  Probably already had it by now.  Get well soon.

4th week of January begins

I sure feel sorry for all those folks having extended power outages. I went through a week-long siege of that several years ago in PT and it was horrible!  As much as I appreciate not having wood heat, there is a lot to be said for it. Hmmm...maybe I'll write about that on my next Leader blog.

Yesterday I managed to push myself away from the computer and concentrate on other areas of my life. Did an hour or so of sewing, worked on a crossword puzzle, fixed supper, and then plopped myself in the recliner for a night of tv watching and cross stitch. Yep!  I'm a granny, that's for sure.

I have a few crossword puzzle books that I've been working on over time (usually while I eat) but there are times when it gets discouraging to be reminded of how much I don't know.  I like the NY Times book as the pages tear out and the print is large enough so I don't have to squint. But....the clues are difficult and I have to refer to a dictionary often.  Some of the clues are so tough, even a dictionary is no help. You either know it or you don't.  I mostly don't.  I did discover I could go to google and type in the clue but I might as well just look at the answers in the back of the magazine because google brings up that exact puzzle while helping me.  Still amazes me how computers have all that info.  I'm going to buy some AARP crossword puzzle books the next time I'm at a mall. Or maybe I'll look online for them.  I bought a "movies" one a few months ago and the clues were just right. Not too easy; not too hard.  I went through that  book quickly and was looking for more. I know they had other catergories.

I wish I could go to bed every night and just fall asleep until morning.  What a pleasure that would be. I'm up and down or at least turning over CONSTANTLY.  I lay on one side and my fingers go to sleep or my shoulders hurt or my ears or nose get plugged up. I turn to the other side and we go through the same routine.  It's no wonder I feel like I've been run over when I finally crawl out of bed each morning.  Everything aches and I wonder "will I ever feel rested and peppy upon awakening again?"  Sigh.....

I sat in my recliner last night too tired to get up and go to bed.  I did come across a show on FX that I'd never heard of before and it had me laughing out loud.  I saw another episode was following so I decided to tape them and watch today.  A half hour comedy called Louie.  Definitely not for young ears.  I came across a movie called Wyvern on the SciFi channel.  A flying dragon eating people. I don't usually stop to watch but this one was kind of intriguing.  I also watched a taped moved called 'Return to Me' starring Minnie Driver and Bonnie Hunt.  I think it was directed and written by Bonnie. Good flick too!

Just looked over the Sunday TV lineup and as usual, found little to interest me. I'll probably tape Ax Men and Prime Suspect and watch Downton Abbey.  I've got a couple of letters to write now, and then I'll put on an audio book and get some more sewing done. 

Okay...here's the thing..

The picture above is what is on the back of the stereo I bought at the thrift store. I thought having those red and white outlets was all I needed to make my gadget work.  Here's my gadget.....

My son tells me that the back of my stereo needs to have OUTPUT buttons, not input.  Soooo..... if anyone who lives in my area has such a stereo, could I borrow it?  Or.... does anyone know where I could buy such a stereo?  They don't sell cassette players these days but surely...somewhere....there is a stereo out there with output buttons on the backside.

I'm determined now to make this work.  It's my new goal. 

Slow going

I guess I'm kind of frittering away the day.  I decided to try and hook up my Xmas present gadget to see if I can teach myself how to use it.  Unfortunately, my confidence level took a nosedive with the first step. I just didn't understand what they were telling me.  They had to go and use a tone like any idiot would know that and it threw me off. Ha ha

One thing led to another.  I tried again to figure out how to attach photos to emails easily and to reduce a photo for email.  With my old system, I used my scanner to reduce the size of the photo and then it attached easily. I could attach several, in fact.  My new scanner/printer doesn't let me search for a photo I've already taken and reduce its size so I transferred the photos to my zip drive and plugged it into my old computer which is attached to my old scanner. After fixing them, I stuck the zip drive back in the new laptop and went from there.

I may have to eventually rearrange this room if I'm going to keep two computers, two printers, my laptop and my flatscreen monitor and my old scanner all in use. Oh well, rearranging is what I do best.

Wayne and Hunter ran me to Safeway. Spent $50 ($10 of that was bird seed!).  Roads were fairly clear so I'm sure I could have managed. Next Monday I'll drive to the fabric store and look for the material I want.  Rain is coming down steadily now and that suits me fine.

I decided to change my password on a few sites I frequent and man, that can zap the energy right out of you!  Especially when they remind me the words I've chosed are weak or medium. 

Well, gotta get moving.  I'm using my blog to help me waste time when there's things I need to do and don't want to.  One thing I've discovered...my old eyes need bigger fonts to read on the screen. I've had to move everything up to 125%.

Slush Fun

Wayne's gonna pick me up this morning so I can make a Safeway run for a few items. I could probably drive myself but there's enough slush on the road in front of my house to help me decide I don't really want to navigate through it.  Am wearing my winter shoes with the attachable cleats too. I've heard the parking lots are still a mess to walk on.  I don't take my mobility for granted these days and the last thing I need is to fall on my cute little butt.

My weekend plans are about the same as the whole week has been...inside projects.  Once I can get to a fabric store, I intend to make another tulip wall hanging. Intend to alter it some as I don't like the way my first one came out. I need to use more care in picking fabrics.  Something I doubt I'll ever get the hang of. 

I keep looking at the stereo I bought so I can use my gadget to put music from cassettes onto my hard drive.  My son isn't sure I'll be able to just put them in my Itunes so I'm not real sure how that works. I'm a little gun shy about using my new lap top for projects that I'm testing out as I go. I'd prefer to know what I'm doing (at least a little bit) ahead of time.  I'm probably making it harder than it actually is. I do that a lot.

Saw a picture on Facebook this morning that one of my friends posted (that her son had posted). At least I think it was her son. Anyhow, I thought it was an interesting shot. Shows  John Cheney on Water Street before he died.  John was a year behind me in school and those of  you who knew him, know what a genuine character he was.

Remembering Etta...

I love love love this video of Etta James and Chuck Berry.

kids using my bike

My baby

January 20 is one of my four birth days.  (not counting my own birth, of course)  39 years ago (on a snowy night in Kirkland) my youngest was born.  Happy Birthday Jennifer Lynn!  Hmmm...that means that next year all my kids will be in their 40's.  Actually, I often have to pull out a calculator to figure out their ages.  I'll be 69 in the fall (unless Jesus calls me home) and man oh man...whoever thought I'd live that long?!  I easily remember turning 40, 50, and 60.  I didn't care for 60 at all.  And here we are...almost ten years later and I'm close to entering the 70's.  Won't be much longer folks.  I'm in the autumn of my years...or have I reached winter?  Yeah, probably  The winter of my discontent.

The kids and the dog are here now. Hunter (my favorite grandson) is shoveling off the back porch for me. I tried to put a new head on my snow man or snow witch lady yesterday but I couldn't form a snowball as it was too dry. Maybe I'll try again as it looks kind of dorky right now. (I brought my halloween mask inside).

Well, I guess I'd better get moving. Maddie probably wants to get on Facebook anyhow. Maybe I'll write more later this evening.

Cute commercial

Jenni and Wayne both had to work today, snow or no snow.  The kids came over with Sammy and Hunter, bless his heart, cleared a path in the backyard so I can get to the bird feeders better. I think they appreciated it too as I saw several of them on the lawn.

I spent over an hour shoveling the driveway and while you still can't see pavement, at least the snow layer is at a reasonable level.  Afterwards, I came in and rearranged some curtains in the house.  That was almost as much work as the driveway. 

My living room with large windows looks out on the backyard.  I like to have the blinds shut at night because I'm pretty sure the neighbors could see in at night (if they were in their backyard) I also like to have the blinds up and open first thing in the morning as I prefer the brightness.  Unfortunately, the blinds don't take kindly to being pulled up each morning and they're starting to fray.  I figured I'd better leave them up before they break and that meant hanging a curtain I could pull closed at night.

To finish this job meant I had to change the curtains on two other windows in a bedroom and here in this room. Up and down on that step stool is hard on me.

I sure hope we aren't going to have power outages.  I can deal with no computer or sewing or cooking but I really don't want to experience no heat.  I suppose I'd better locate my longjohns just in case.

Found a bunch of old Reader Digest pages and AARP Magazine pages that I'd torn out to reread the health articles.  Mostly stuff about how to stay alive. Think I'll type up some of the tips as my memory has a tendency to forget just about everything these days.

Oh great!  It's only 6:40 p.m. and already I'm yawning.  I sure had some interesting dreams last night. I was in Chicago (a place I've never been) and I was lost.  I couldn't remember where I was staying and that made getting directions back there a tad more difficult.  I was meeting all kinds of people along the way and having conversations with them.  I wonder if we'll run into each other again tonight.

Found it interesting that Perry and Palin both backed Newt.  Happy to hear it too. He's a lot smarter and easier to listen to than Romney.  I thought the very first time I ever saw Mitt campaigning that he was too much of a pretty boy who was talking out of both sides of his mouth and saying whatever he thought people wanted to hear. And I can't for the life of me figure out why people continue to say Obama is this super speech giver who no one can beat. I think he's a terrible speaker. I often turn him off because I don't like the way he presents a speech.  At least with Newt, you're not falling asleep. Let's face it...most politicians are a special breed all their own anyhow. None of them are perfect. Some are just a little easier to stomach than others. I always seem to prefer the mavericks.  I wonder why that is.

Hmmmm...my lights are flickering. That doesn't make me happy.  Guess I'll get off this computer and go look for candles...just in case.

Getting a little weary of it now

  Snowing again this morning. And now it's blowing sideways. Not pretty anymore. I'll deal with it, though. Like what choice do I have?  My activity list is unchanged from what it's been for days....surf the net, work on sewing projects, read, work on a jigsaw, watch videos, nap.

The kids haven't showed up yet. I wonder if Wayne and Jenni have to report to work.  They've had to so far so we'll see.  I bought a snow shovel from a neighbor last summer. I bet she's regretting that now. I may put my boots on and go out to clear the driveway a little.  Doesn't take long, however, for me to start shoveling and then remember that I'm old and my back hurts.

Can anybody tell me what this pig is saying in the latest Geiko commercial? Everytime I watch it, I can't figure it out.




Took a picture of the birds in the backyard yesterday. Wish I had a bird house that could shelter them from the weather.

Am finding the tv weather reporting a bit tiring.  Now they've got me worrying about the power lines coming down.  That's all we need, no heat.  I won't think about it.

Saw the previews for 'Archer' yesterday so I'm taping it tonight.  Watched 'Justified' last night and it was pretty good...although a tad too much violence for my liking.

Well, time to get busy around here. Think I'll post a video I got in an email from Les Walden today. I need more practice on posting videos anyhow. Still can't figure out the easiest steps.

It is pretty, though....

Guess who isn't venturing outside today?  Her name starts with a J.  Well, that's not completely true. I will pull on my boots and walk across the backyard to shake the snow off of the bird feeders.  I filled them all with thistle seed yesterday as I found a sack of it in the garage. Wasn't sure if they'd eat it but they are. 

I may invest in a better pair of boots once this weather passes.  The pair I have are okay but they don't come up very far or close all that well.  Ha!  You'd think I was a winter sports enthusiast who got out there and played in the snow.  Not hardly.  Making a quick snow witch is about the extent of my energy level. Don't really have the proper mittens or gloves either.

I was surprised at how well Sammy took to the deep snow yesterday. He'd jump across it quickly to chase birds or kids--even though it was up to his nose and more.  Kind of interesting to see the snowdrifts as we don't often get those when it snows.  That's the pretty part, I think and I probably will bundle up to go out and take some pictures.

My guess is that Jenni and Wayne don't have to go to work today.  Course I could be wrong but it would seem silly to drive with the roads looking so dangerous. My daytime activities are going to be devoted to hobbies.  I've got sewing projects in the works, a jigsaw puzzle laid out, crocheting, knitting, counted cross stitch, book to listen to, videos to watch, and computer websites to surf to.

I finished my Leader blog about the Rec Center yesterday so I'll tweak that this morning and try to get it posted before 10 o'clock.

I wanted to stay up and watch Southland last night but I just couldn't keep my eyes open.  I already had both VCRs taping other 10 pm shows so I'll have to keep my eye peeled and watch for Southland to show up in a repeat episode. They often do that at odd hours or different days.

Well, that's about it for now. I do hope to play around with my picture program today and see if I can't get more comfortable with resizing photos. Here's one Hunter took yesterday of his snow fort. Maddie built hers on the other side of the yard and they had a snowball fight.

2nd snow post today

Hunter and I built a snow witch. I named her Joyce.

The White Stuff

I looked out on the back porch this morning and saw three footprints.  Hmmm...I wonder if some guy was trying to get to me.  Probably.  I get that a lot.

Seriously, though, I am kind of wondering what they are.  The porch was bare when I went to bed so somebody there during the night.  I didn't see any other footprints, though, so it is puzzling.  Wayne dropped the kids and Sammy off a half hour ago. Maddie took some thistleseed I found in the garage out to one of the bird feeders so I'm hoping that will interest a few birds.  She's watching Netflix now.  Later on we may go out and build a snowman in the front yard.

I cut and pasted and edited on the word program that came with this laptop but I've still got a lot of learning to do to feel comfortable while writing.  I wanted to do a Leader blog today but I might type it here, transfer to my zip drive, and put it on my old computer with the word program I'm familiar with.

This morning I played around with the camera settings using my laptop and I'm "mostly there" but not all the way yet.  With time.

I was surprised that Wayne had to report for work this morning as the roads are quite full of high snow. He drives a fedx truck.  Am suspecting they'll send him home early.  The kids are out of school for at least today and tomorrow from the way the weatherman talks.

Mary got me a keyboard with a usb connection (found it laying around in her garage) and thinks she might have a laptop bag as well.  Now all I need is the wireless mouse.  She told me that cruise ship that is in the news right now was one a friend of hers used a couple years back.  The friend commented it was the worst trip ever.  All kinds of bad things wrong with that ship. Even the food was awful.

Election news continues to interest me but I'm sure not pleased with Romney gaining momentum. I don't think he has a prayer against Obama.  I'm not particularly enthused with Obama myself right now but....if Romney ends up being my only choice, then I'll vote democratic. At least Obama has Hillary...and I do like her!

Had the tv news on just long enough this morning to hear of yet more people killing other people. I swear--this world is getting meaner every day.  It seems to be commonplace to hear of one murder after another.

Well, Hunter is out in the front trying to start a snowman and I told him I would help. Poor Sammy. He's whining to get out there but unfortunately, he can't be trusted off leash.  Here's a weiner leash fro a weiner dog that  I bought for Wayne's birthday last week.





Still learning....

I spent most of my morning sitting here trying to learn "new stuff."  It's hard learning new stuff.  I finally figured out how to enlarge the font on my laptop screen so I read everything without squinting. Ended up increasing the size to 150%.  Must be an age thing.Yesterday I figured out I had to be in a certain "mode" in order to post YouTube videos on here. I didn't have to be in that mode on my old computer, though.

My cursor continues to hop around if I stop typing for any length of time.  I thought it had something to do with me touching the built-in mouse but I don't think that's the case.  I knew I wanted to learn Gmail better and that took longer than I anticipated.  Can't say that I'm all that enthused with it as it was much easier maneuvering in Outlook Express.  Outlook has been changed to a program called Windows Live and I may go back and forth depending on how things cooperate.

Gmail allowed me to make special "contact" lists so I put about 45 people in my 1961 classmates folder, another couple dozen in my family folder and a dozen in my "most frequently emailed folder."
Once I figure out how to place the contact I want in the TO: (or BCC) line, I think I'll like it better. Right now it's kind of cumbersome and every job I want to do like delete or forward or reply takes me a while to accomplish.  Course this is causing me to NOT be on the computer as much as usual. Too stressful.    But I know time will fix that.

The road in front of my house looks clear and I'm tempted to drive over to the airport nursery to buy some bird seed.  I made sure I had plenty of food in the house for me (it's all about me, 'ya know) but the birds have been cleaning out their feeders and I don't have anything on hand to replenish.  Yesterday I had a couple of pancakes left over and rather than toss them out, I cut them up in pieces and threw them on the back porch.  They're gone now and I think it was the crows.

I guess it's obvious I don't have a hell of a lot to talk about when I'm housebound.  I suppose there are a few people out there who would say I don't have much to talk about even when I'm not housebound. Ha!

Wish I could get this room at a comfortable temperature.  It's not a large room so when I turn on the heat, it gets warm quickly. But then....it's too warm and I have to turn it off again.  Then it's too cold. I know.  I should be thankful I even have a heater and am not homeless....but still....

I've been trying to establish one way or the other if the memory foam mattress (from Costco) is a good thing or a not so good thing.  It's very comfortable to sleep on but I "think" it makes my low back and hips hurt after a night on it.  I've been alternating it with my harder mattress between laundry of the sheets to see if I can notice a difference.  It's hard to tell if my achiness is mattress-related or because I'm old and obese.  I'm leaning towards blaming it on the foam.  ha ha

Weatherman is talking snow showers again tonight but he's also predicting rain to wash it away. Fine with me. Bring on that rain!  I watch the traffic on Snoqualmie Pass roads and it gives me the creeps. So glad I don't have to drive that highway.  Or any highway.  Weather sure is playing havoc on my skin and scalp.  Dry and itchy.

 I got a little sewing done earlier in the day and even managed to finish a book.  Maddie, you'll be happy to hear I read 'The Hunger Games.'  Quite a good read too. Now I'll have to start the second book.

I made a big pot of soup a couple hours ago.  Leftover soup.  Meaning I threw in a little of this and a little of that from the fridge.  Even a small bowl of spaghetti and some barbequed pork and 2 chicken thighs.  Looks weird but smells fine and I do like to use up leftovers.  I'll have it for a couple of dinners with a salad and maybe make some dumplings for the third helping.

Watched the Golden Globes last night. Had to stop and tape it after 30 minutes, though, as the commercials and long-winded speeches were driving me nuts!  I watched it later and fast forwarded through everything that bored me.  Like Ricky Gervais thinking he was funny.  I had seen few of the movies nominated.  Saw The Ides of March but it didn't impress me.  I hope to see all of them when they hit video--especially The Descendants, Iron Lady, Hugo, War Horse, and a couple others.

I always enjoy watching the female stars to see what they're wearing. Most looked drop dead gorgeous.  Like Angelina Jolie.  Jane Fonda looked good too, I thought.  Meryl Streep (whose acting is A+ always looks like she dressed in a hurry.)  And while most (men and women) had nice hairdos, a whole lot of them needed to visit a stylist.  This from someone whose hair always looks TERRIBLE!

I see the news is running low on news again as they're telling us what foods to eat to avoid heart disease, diabetes, and strokes.  Ho Hum......Have you seen the Washington State lotto commerical shot in downtown PT?  Has a guy with red pants and it's kind of funny.

Well, I got about a dozen responses so far to my request for Rec Center memories. Maybe I'll wait another day and start writing for my Leader blog in the morning.  Drop me a line if you have memories to share.  cedarrose61 at hotmail.com

Well, that's it for now. Stay warm.  Here's a video (if I'm successful at posting it, that is)

Sunday Snow

The ground is covered with the white stuff but it seems to have stopped coming down--at least for now. Too much on the road to allow me to feel  at ease about driving so I guess I'll be staying in for a few days.  I baked a loaf of banana bread and threw a couple of chicken thighs in the crockpot with some veggies. Had a nice breakfast of pancakes and berries and then shoveled off the back porch with the snow shovel I bought at a yard sale last summer.  It's been snowing off and on but the porch is still clear so I guess it's mostly rain mix out there.

Spent a little time on the laptop (and cell phone) last night so Joe could help me figure out why my screen pictures were so "off."  I figured I must have accidently reset some resolution setting without knowing it.  He was so patient looking things up and having me click on this or that.  Finally, I discovered that you can't use a laptop with the screen set backwards.  It has to be straight up.  When it's not, the color is screwed up.  Who knew?! Little things like that are going to keep me studying for weeks to come, I'm afraid.

I tried to post a video yesterday but it didn't work for me. Think I'll try again here and see what happens




I started a new jigsaw puzzle a little while ago.  At least I got the pieces set out.  Also did some sewing. Think I'll settle into the recliner with a book now and await the Golden Globes.  I watched a Netflix movie last night called 'Kill the Irishman.'  Mafia flick.

And boring as it is, that's my day so far.  I wouldn't have posted at all but I need to practice on this computer until I feel I'm in control.  Now to sign off and then come back to see if the video worked.

Is it going to be a snow day?

It's about 3:30 on this cold Saturday afternoon.  We had some fast and furious snow flakes comin' down but it's quit now and the sky even looks blue. Perhaps tomorrow the snow will come back.

It looked real dark and scary at 8:30 a.m. and that naturally made me think I probably needed something at the store.  (once the snow starts, I'm housebound)  I drove down to Safeway and bought some red potatoes, one big russet (love to have a baked potato with goodies on it now and then) and picked up a couple of tomatoes, some coffee creamer, and hotdogs.  Man, have hotdogs ever gotten expensive!  I opted for some turkey ones that were half the price of the beef.

I came home and started a pot of coffee, stripped my bed and threw a load in the washer, made some oatmeal for breakfast, fed the fish, and went outside to fix up the bird feeders a bit.  I should go buy some more as I'm out and what little bit I added brought in quite a few birds.  One especially, was very colorful.  Larger than a robin; I'll have to look in my bird book and see if I can figure out what he was.

Couldn't find anything interesting on tv and then I remembered I have unlimited movies on Netflix that I can stream in. Man oh man, is that ever a nice thing to have. Thanks again Joe!

My new computer is still a tad intimidating but I'm sure I'll be the boss sooner or later.  My daughter informed me that the reason my cursor is probably jumping around is that I'm accidently touching the keypad mouse area.  I'm trying to learn to position my hands in such a way that I'm not coming in contact with it.  I could go invest in another keyboard (and I might) but I really prefer typing on the laptop.  Can't get used to the mouse, however. I'll probably use a plug-in or wireless mouse indefinitely.

I cleaned the garage yesterday morning and moved files from my old computer to my jumpdrive yesterday afternoon.  Took me quite a while to clean up the hard drive but it's all done now. For the time being, I think I'll have two computers. Am I repeating myself?  Yeah, probably.

Was interesting to see some of the emails I had kept.  Found a few from 2007 that were particularly amusing about the twins. I know I've shared these before but it's been over four years so I'll share a second time.  Besides I need practice on going to find where I put them and to cut and paste. Same with pictures. I'll post a couple of those as well....once I find them.

March 2007 from Maddie:

If a leprechaun granted me three wishes, this is what they would be....

A TV in my room

A mall in my room

A hot tub

"I think I'm lucky because......(This was for St. Patricks day). She wrote.....

I have a twin bruther. He's my best frend.

June 2007:

Jenni told me she was furious beyond words yesterday because Hunter came home from school with head lice. Meant a trip to the store for special spray and soap and a trip to the laundramat and lots of other work details too.

Maddie shared with her teacher the next day that Hunter had lice and mama said the F word a whole bunch of times last night.

Feb 2007

Jenni picked me up this morning to take a spin in her new car as we both needed to hit Costco. Very nice and she's like a high school kid with her first set of wheels. The twins haven't seen the car yet but she's picking them up at school this afternoon. When she was explaining their new car to them, Hunter asked what color it was. Jenni replied: "it's gold."

His eyes got big with wonder and he said: "Ohhhhhh. We're rich."

April 2007

Jenni called today to tell me a "Maddie story". Seems when Jenni went to pick them up at school this afternoon, Maddie's teacher took Jenni aside and says: "I have a story for you." Jenni adores this teacher. She's in her 30's and has kids around the same age.

Anyhow, they were told to make as many words as they could from the word "SPRING"

One of Maddie's words was PIS.

The teacher asked her to use it in a sentence.

Maddie says "you pis me off"

The teacher informs her that that is an adult word only and besides, it's spelled with two S's.

Jenni called a while ago to tell me the questions her kids are asking now.

Hunter wanted to know why there was so much advertisement in the paper for Easter baskets when the Easter bunny brings them?

Jenni told him it's for adults who want a basket too.

Maddie asked why adults get hair down there in their private parts.

Jenni explained it's just something that occurs when you become an adult and your body changes.

Maddie said: Well, I hope mine stays plain.

Well, here we go again. My blog just posted and I didn't ask it to.  Also lost the sentence I was in the middle of writing.  I wonder where it went.  It wasn't all that interesting anyway. 

I took the rest of my small pork roast from last night's dinner and cut it up and threw it in the crockpot with barbeque sauce. Plan to make bbq sandwiches for supper tonight. Took a little piece of it, though, and ground it up with pickle slices, carrot slices, and onion. Mixed in mayo and sour cream and I have a delicious sandwich spread. Yum!

I spent the afternoon working on a jigsaw puzzle.  500 pieces and I finished it. Yay!  I got four puzzles for Xmas this year and am anxious to start one about the fifties.  Have got to get brave and try to play with my new toy that converts music cassettes to my hard drive.  My stereo($12 at the thrift store) has the necessary jacks in the back.

I seem to be on a lot of mailing lists for catalogs.  Every now and then I browse through them. Did you know that most items (if you search online) you can find at a huge savings?  I saw a book that I found on half.com and the shipping was free.  Called "Where are they buried and How did they die?"  Interesting tidbits on famous folks.

I'm reading 'The Hunger Games' right now.  Maddie asks me everyday how far I've gotten. She's a huge reader.  I'm glad.

And before I forget...CONGRATS AND WAY TO GO GIRL! TO GRANDDAUGHTER CATIE!
She's quit smoking and I know that's not an easy road to walk.  SO PROUD OF YOU!!!!!

I'm not sure if I have a cold or a touch of sinusitis.  I'm definitely feeling icky poo but I keep hoping it's because of the bad air I've heard we're experiencing right now.  And on that note, I think I'll go look for something to squirt up my nose.  Ha ha

Friday the 13th

I woke up at midnight....well, actually five minutes until midnight and suspected that OUT OF THE BLUE, I had come down with a cold.  We'll see.  I spent about an hour feeling like I had bugs crawling up my nose. Way up my nose and I was stuffed up and miserable within minutes.  Got out of bed and proceeded to squirt nasal spray, take an allergy pill, set out the kleenex box, and spread a pat of Vicks under my nose.  Good ole Vicks!

Maybe I'll throw my pillows in the dryer for a few minutes. Never sure if that works but I keep thinking being in bed with my head buried in pillows has something to do with this as it's happened before.  Dust mites and all.  Eweeew.. Now that I think about it, I do have a plastic-like pillow cover around here somewhere. I'll have to hunt it down. It's a noisy thing, though. Too crackly.  Can you tell I don't have much to talk about this morning?  Ha Ha  I'm more interested in seeing how my cursor behaves as I type along.  Still can't figure out why it sometimes moves to a different spot. Perhaps I'm barely touching some function key and don't realize it. This keyboard does seem to take on a life of its own.

Like  now.  I paused after coming down here for a new paragraph and my cursor jumped back to the word "crackly" right between the c and k.  Anybody have an answer why that happened?  I know I didn't touch a thing.  Going to make a new paragraph now and pause to see where it goes.

Okay. We're playing games now. It didn't jump anywhere. Dang blast it!

My computer room (I've got to find another name instead of computer room)...like office.  Yeah, office works better. Now to try and remember to refer to it as the office.  Anyhow, it's slowly filling up with techy stuff.  I brought my old computer back from Jenni's and have it plugged in behind and below me along with my old printer and scanner.

In front.....okay....there...my mouse cursor was laying near the bold key and when I started to type, the key was activated. I moved the cursor to the abc key, and a cross-through occurred. That tells me that my mouse is trying to dictate my typing. Maybe I'll need to unhook it and use the laptop mouse instead.  I guess I'll continue to experiment and see why my plug-in mouse is thinking it knows better.

Anyhow, back to my techy gadgets....My thrift store stereo seems to play my cassettes very well. Much better than the two boom boxes I was using.  It has a radio too so I may continue to use it even after I figure out how to transfer my tapes. My son thinks the tapes will need to be transferred to my computer into a file of their own as he's not sure they'll convert to a format that Itunes offers.  Just more "stuff" for me to learn.....but I'm getting there.

I  brought my old computer back as I needed to download some files that  we neglected to transfer from Outlook Express.  I also decided I preferred my old printer and scanner as I was used to them.  Since they won't work without the computer, I hooked them back up too.  I still like my new printer/scanner; I just have to get to the point where it's not intimidating me.  Kind of nice to have two printers anyway.  Especially since I just bought color ink for the old printer and that stuff isn't cheap!

Okay, enough chatting about nothing. I'm off to the shower to see if I can't make the happy peppy Joyce appear. She usually emerges after a hot shower---until that is, she sees her happy peppy naked body in the large mirror facing her as she opens the shower door. Then she converts back to the real world quickly! 

Hmmm...my left fingers feel numb.  I wonder if that's because my wrists are sitting on the keyboard to type.  If it isn't one thing, it's another.

Doesn't look as frosty cold out there this morning. Weatherman says rain is due and then the white stuff. Guess I'll go hunt for my boots out in the garage. Maybe I'll clean out the garage today if it's not too cold. Might as well stir up the dust since it seems I've already got things stirred up while in bed. That means putting off the shower until afterwards.  Life is so full of decisions.  Ha!

Note from Linda Farina

 I asked my Doctor why do I & other people urinate (pee) so much at night time.

Answer from my Cardiac Doctor = Gravity holds water in the lower part of your body when you are upright.

When you lie down & the lower body (legs & other things) seeks level with the kidneys it is then that the kidneys remove the water because it is easier.

This then ties in with the last statement!
I knew you need your minimum water to help flush the toxins out of your body, but this was news to me.
Correct time to drink water... very Important. From A Cardiac Specialist!
Drinking water at a certain time maximizes its effectiveness on the body:
2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs
1 glass of water 30 min before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
Please pass this to the people you care about......

I can also add to this... My Physician told me that water at bed time will also help prevent night time leg cramps.

Your leg muscles are seeking hydration when they cramp & wake you up with a Charlie Horse.

 Thanks Linda! That's nice to know...Now if I can just remember it.  Think I'll write it down.

Been trying to get to know and understand my new computer this morning.  For a while, the keyboard keys and places where I was attempting to type started jumping all over the place like it had a mind of its own.  I won't repeat the words that were coming out of my mouth.  Certainly wasn't in the mood to lose control of something I had just spent hundreds of dollars on. 

I knew there was going to be a tough learning cycle, though, so I'll just remember to be patient.  Yeah, we all know how good I am at that activity.  At any rate, I'm feeling better today. Not 100% but I can't recall the last time I ever felt 100%.  Maybe never.  Ha!

Lookin' mighty cold out my window.  I am thinking about browsing Goodwill and Serenity House for a stereo but we'll see.  Maybe I'll hear from somebody who has one I can borrow. Worked on a jigsaw puzzle yesterday and sewed a few quilt squares together. Didn't have the energy to do much of anything else.

Well, time to get off now. Had to ramble on a bit to see if my keyboard is behaving. Have Paula Deen show on and she's making me hungry.  Cooking shows are fun to watch.

Later....
Just ran a few errands. Stopped at a new thrift store and found a stereo with the kind of jacks in the back I need. Have to get it cleaned up a little but we did test it and it appears to play tapes okay.  That will be a project while I'm housebound because of the snow we're supposed to get in a few days.

I stopped by Radio Shack to price adaptors for my old keyboard to this laptop or a new wireless keyboard and wireless mouse.  All $20 a piece. I'll wait on those. Not necessary now anyhow.